


Mother and Son

by Tiny_Cryptid



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Gen, Late Night Conversations, Mother-Son Relationship, my SoSu just loves her son so much and I wanted to write abt it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:48:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29284815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiny_Cryptid/pseuds/Tiny_Cryptid
Summary: A quiet moment between the Sole Survivor and the son she fought so hard for, even though he's notquitethe same one.
Relationships: (IMPLIED), Female Sole Survivor/Nick Valentine, Synth Shaun & Female Sole Survivor, Synth Shaun & Sole Survivor (Fallout)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Mother and Son

She found him outside, staring up at the stars like they were some particularly difficult puzzle he had to solve. He made no move to greet her as she sat down next to him, and she made no move to break the silence, opting to let him speak first when he was ready.

And, after a minute or two more, he turned his head, still looking up at the sky, and mumbled the one word that still made her heart melt.

“Ma?”

“Yes, Shaun?”

“I’m not human, am I?”

Her eyes locked onto him, shoulders tense. How had he known? She relaxed a moment later though, letting out a sharp breath. Of course he’d figured it out so quickly. Her boy was smart; smarter than most would expect a kid to be. Still, this was a delicate matter. That was why she’d planned on telling him a year or two later, when she was sure he could handle it. Leave it to life to interfere with her plans for her family yet again.

“No, Shaun. You aren’t.”

He nodded, still calm, and finally turned his eyes (big and bright and hazel, just like Nate’s, _good lord_ ) onto her.

“Alright.”

Shocked at his nonchalance, a laugh rose out of her, unbidden, but she quickly cleared her throat. She nodded, schooling her face into the same serious expression he wore.

“Alright.”

They settled into another calm silence. Shaun resumed picking apart the constellations, and she leaned back against the banister of the front steps, nodding at Marcy as she passed along on her night watch.

She was a bit shocked at just how much he had picked up from her. It wasn’t just the surface-level traits, though they did both have the same fluffy, ginger hair and the same physical frame (she could already tell that he was going to be gangly and awkward as a teenager, just like she’d been, if their plans with Acadia for his 16th birthday present went well). He seemed to have picked up her and Nick’s bad habit of responding to stress with dry wit and sarcasm, which, combined with his apparent genetic predisposition to never use two words when one would suffice, made it hard for him to engage with most people.

She was broken from her musings by Shaun letting out a jaw-cracking yawn, causing her to yawn in turn.

“Hey buddy, you tired?” she whispered, smiling fondly as he rubbed his eyes and nodded. Without another word, she scooped him up and carried him indoors, prompting a low whine and a very sleepy “ _Mooom,_ I can walk just fine.”

“Forgive me if I don’t believe you, kiddo.” she laughed. He grumbled again, but offered no further resistance.

She tucked him into bed, kissing his forehead despite his (largely performative) protests. She meant to brew a cup of tea before bed, but found herself hesitating in the doorway of his room.

“You know I still love you, right hon?”

“Mm-hm.” came his reply, slurred with fatigue and half-spoken into his pillow. “If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have brought me home.”

His reply stirs a feeling in her chest that she’s simply too tired to think about, so she just nods, turning to leave, when his voice rings out and stops her again.

“For the record, I love you too.”

“I know,” she whispers, refusing to acknowledge the grin on her face or the tears pricking her eyes. “goodnight, Shaun.”

She does make her way to the kitchen, then, pouring herself a cold cup of tea with the last of the water in the kettle. It tastes a bit like grass and leaves an odd residue in her mouth, but she powers through anyway.

She’s just put her son to bed. The Ink Spots are crooning through the static of the old, battered radio on the counter. She can hear Nick’s soft snores droning from their bedroom.

At last, at long, _long_ last, she’s home.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, thanks for giving this a read! Honestly, there's not enough content about Synth Shaun, and I love him a lot so I sought to fix that.
> 
> This was completely unedited and beta'd by someone who's never played the game (hell, even I haven't finished it), so any constructive criticism is especially appreciated.


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